Page | 1 CBRNE-TERRORISM NEWSLETTER – April 2016 www.cbrne-terrorism-newsletter.com Page | 2 CBRNE-TERRORISM NEWSLETTER – April 2016 After Brussels, Europe's intelligence woes revealed Source:http://www.cnbc.com/2016/03/22/brussels-attack-why-europe-must-increase-terror- intelligence.html Mar 23 – Europe must improve the regional Rudd's comments are at the crux of a hot- sharing of intelligence to successfully button discourse about the encroachment on combat the rise of homegrown militants, civil liberties should governments ramp up policy experts told CNBC a day after deadly surveillance and detainment tactics in the explosions hit Brussels. global war on terror. Global terrorist organization ISIS claimed Rudd believes it's a necessary cost to bear. responsibility for Tuesday's attacks that killed "This is not a normal set of circumstances, at least 31 people, the latest episode in the we've got to give our men and women in group's campaign of large-scale violence on uniform and in the intelligence services the the international stage. powers necessary to deal with this. This is no Recent offensives in Paris and Jakarta indicate criticism of the Belgian government but a wake- ISIS is increasingly relying on local up call to all of us who wrestle with this fundamentalists, typically trained in ISIS debate." strongholds within the Middle East, to execute Others agree that European officials must suicide bombings and shootings in busy direct more investment to counter-terrorism, metropolitan areas. despite strained finances for most countries in "The key question here is closing the the region. intelligence gap," said Kevin Rudd, former The fact that the perpetrator of December's Prime Minister of Australia and president of the Paris attacks was caught in Belgium four Asia Society Policy Institute. months after the event points to the While ISIS is being defeated militarily in overwhelmed state of European security Syria and Iraq, foreign fighters who travel to officials, warned Ozzie Nelson, senior the militant hotbed are returning to their associate of homeland security and counter- home countries at a "disturbing" rate of terrorism at the Center for Strategic & about 30 percent, he noted, resulting in the International Studies (CSIS). spate of recent attacks. That calls for European "There's significant issue of information governments to step up information gathering sharing, not just within Belgium, but between on radicalized individuals, which means European partners," he said, adding that channeling more funds and manpower to countries must coordinate and communicate counter-terrorism operations, the 58-year old better instead of using limited resources to explained. focus on protecting their own citizens. "When members of law enforcement approach "The underlying tension between the drive to us as members of parliament or political communicate and the drive of nationalism will leaders, seeking more direct powers, I believe put Europe in crisis as long as the we have to be very attentive to their responses [terror] threat exists, and I expect as long as we have judicial and parliamentary this threat to continue for a oversight." number of years." www.cbrne-terrorism-newsletter.com Page | 3 CBRNE-TERRORISM NEWSLETTER – April 2016 Throwing money at the problem isn't sufficient them from attacking," explained Scott however; analysts say the European Stewart, vice president of tactical analysis at intelligence communist must refine their tactics. Stratfor. Nations may seek to increase security at For example, higher airport security may not transportation hubs and borders as a knee-jerk deter terrorists as it just moves the intended reaction to Tuesday's events but that may not target, i.e. people, to outside the building, he be the solution. said. "We need to see a different approach Ultimately, the most effective weapons towards attacking the problem, looking governments have at their disposal are sharing for terrorists as they're conducting information, obtaining accurate intelligence, their pre-operational surveillance and working to change conditions supporting instead of hardening targets and preventing radicals, summarized Nelson. EDITOR’S COMMENT: For sure this is a very complicated problem. But perhaps the root of the problem is not intelligence sharing but how to connect existing dots. A second problem is the fact that innocent citizens and suspicious/under surveillance individuals shere the same rights. A third problem is the fact that police forces do not have enough people to conduct full 24/7 surveillance operations. The attitude dictating “it will not happen to us” represents a fourth problem (Brussel’s airport did not have a response bombing plan! Belgian firefighters were about to go on strike when the massacre took place!). Finally, citizens’ involvement is not as massive as it should be – still walking in the streets texting SMSs or listen to the music. “See something, say something” is more important that is sounds! European countries with citizens fighting for IS in Syria and Iraq regularly report exact numbers (e.g. the next article) – if you know the numbers you know the people; if you know the people you know their IDs; if you know their IDs then you can remove citizenships and forbit return entrance – but when France attempted to do this the Minister of Justice resigned! And of course the “cover” problem of multiculturalism that although failed it will take years to reshape especially now that the illegal immigration/refugees’ tsunami flooded Europe and nobody knows what would be the picture when waters will subside – if ever. If all the above are the pylons for a new European cooperative policy then there is hope that Brussel’s multiple terrorist attacks can be the last of its kind! If not, be prepared. Terrorism is coming soon in your cities… How vulnerable is the United States to a Brussels-like attack? Source:https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/how-vulnerable-is-the-united-states-to- a-brussels-like-attack/2016/03/22/3a848992-f03e-11e5-a61f-e9c95c06edca_story.html Mar 22 – The apparently coordinated “In the U.S., for the most part, communities bombings that killed more 31 people in don’t radicalize; individuals do,” said Belgium are unlikely to be duplicated in the Seamus Hughes, the deputy director at the United States, which is separated by an program on extremism at George Washington ocean from Islamist extremists fighting in University’s Center for Cyber & Homeland Syria and Iraq and has seen far fewer of its Security and a former National people traveling there, former intelligence Counterterrorism Center staffer. and counterterrorism officials said. The Islamic State, also known as ISIS, claimed The United States is not immune from terrorist responsibility for the Brussels attacks — a attacks, as December’s Islamic State-inspired series of bombings at the airport and a metro mass shooting in San Bernardino, Calif., station. The incident sparked security fears demonstrated. And its transit systems, across the globe, with police in Paris, London, particularly city subways, are vulnerable. But Washington and elsewhere boosting patrols. the United States is not grappling with the The bombing followed earlier same volume of Islamic State recruits as its Islamic State assaults in France, European peers, and sophisticated plots are far Turkey and Tunisia, among other more likely to be ferreted out by law places. enforcement or neighbors, the officials said. www.cbrne-terrorism-newsletter.com Page | 4 CBRNE-TERRORISM NEWSLETTER – April 2016 Department of Homeland Security Secretary and 20 died. Dozens have been prosecuted Jeh Johnson said in a statement that there was in the United States. “no specific, credible intelligence of any plot to “I think it’s fair to say that Belgium authorities conduct similar attacks here in the United are overwhelmed with the numbers they’re States.” dealing with,” Hughes said. “They have twice the number of foreign fighters than we have people who have attempted to travel.” Republican presidential candidates struck a more alarmist tone. Ohio Gov. John Kasich called on President Obama to return from his visit to Cuba and suggested the United States “send teams of people immediately to Europe to begin to dig, in terms of what we need to do to address the vulnerabilities we have.” Sen. Ted Cruz (Tex.) said the United States should “empower law enforcement to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized.” And Donald Trump predicted flatly, “This is going to happen in the United States.” Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton said the United States should “intensify and broaden our strategy” in fighting the Islamic State. Her opponent, Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.), called the attack a “brutal reminder that the international community must come together to destroy ISIS.” The United States is not without vulnerabilities. This month, Mohamad Khweis, an Alexandria, Still, Johnson said that the Transportation Va., man who was not previously on the FBI Security Administration — wary of threats from radar, was picked up by Kurdish forces in Iraq lone actors and returning foreign fighters — after he apparently fled the Islamic State. was deploying additional security at U.S. A recently retired FBI counterterrorism official, airports and rail stations and that authorities speaking on the condition of anonymity to were taking other precautions “not suitable for discuss recent bureau operations, said aspiring public disclosure.” jihadists are getting smarter and are no According to a report from the Soufan Group, a longer flying directly to Turkey before research and intelligence service, 470 people making their way to the Islamic State in Syria. from Belgium had traveled to Syria as of “Now they are using different countries,” the October with plans to join militant groups official said. Khweis said he traveled to fighting in the region. That figure, officials said, London, Amsterdam and Turkey before represents the highest per-capita number of sneaking into Syria.